Who's The Daddy Gonna Be?
by evgrrl09
Summary: Penelope decides she wants a baby and asks JJ for help finding a sperm donor. But JJ and Rossi have no intentions of letting Penelope find a donor who isn't her soulmate, which leads to them to embark on a quest to find the perfect man for their technical analyst. Morgan/Garcia, JJ/Rossi pairings. ***PROFILERS CHOICE AWARDS WINNER FOR BEST JJ/GARCIA FIC***
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **So with all the angst I've been writing (i.e. Reincarnated and Misconceptions with PolHop) I've decided to do a much fluffier story with only minor conflict. I'm also doing a JJ/Rossi pairing along with my traditional Morgan/Garcia pairing. Thank you to Polhop for your help with this!**

 **This plot was inspired by something on Parks and Recreation that I thought was really funny and thought I could apply it here. I hope you'll enjoy!**

"Can you repeat that, please?" JJ coughed as she sat across from Penelope in their favorite coffee shop. Their Saturday afternoon couldn't have been better; the sun shining, good coffee, just the two of them hanging out and having a good time.

But the confession Penelope just dropped on her made JJ pause.

"I want to get your help looking at sperm donors," Penelope repeated, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm gonna have a baby."

Blinking several times, JJ nodded slowly. She had no idea how to feel about what she'd just heard. Part of her wanted to be thrilled for her friend. She wanted to have a baby, and she would be a great mom. But somehow it felt out of character for Penelope. She hadn't heard anything about this before, and it was so impulsive that it didn't seem very Penelope-esque.

"You're really quiet," Penelope observed. She bit her lip, looking nervous.

JJ shook her head vigorously. "Oh!" she said quickly. "I…I really don't know what to say." She smiled. "I'm happy for you! But…" er voice trailed off as she tried to figure out how to form her next words carefully.

"But what?" Penelope asked, her voice getting a bit higher as she got more defensive.

"But is this really what you want?" JJ finished. "I mean, you just broke up with Sam a month ago, and then before that was Derek. And I'm pretty sure the latter still isn't over you." She snorted with laughter as she thought of the wounded puppy looks Derek gave Penelope constantly.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Jayje," she cautioned. "We're not even going there. Derek and I did _not_ work. Yeah, the sex was great, but we argued constantly. We broke up, and we've managed to still be friend." She narrowed her eyes, not wanting to rehash this _again_ with JJ right now. "And you're changing the subject. What was your point about the boyfriends?"

JJ knew now might not be the best time to rehash the Derek thing again, but damn it she wanted to. Her two friends had been broken up for over a year now, and even though they had a friendly breakup, it still seemed like something was incomplete between the two of them.

"I just remember you telling me you wanted that fairytale ending, that's all," JJ said.

Penelope shrugged. "That fairytale ending doesn't have to include a man in it."

Tilting her head to the side, JJ studied her friend. She couldn't tell what was going through her head, but she seemed absolutely sincere in her desire. Something seemed missing, though. Until she figured out what was going on, she was going to be the best supportive friend she could be.

"Let me know when you want me to look over binders full of men with you," JJ said with a wink.

As Penelope brightened and became more animated, JJ observed and listened. Despite this, she still felt the twinge of certainty that something deeper was going on. This didn't feel right. She believed her friend wanted a baby, but she had always talked about having babies with someone in the gushy romantic sense. What was it that had her jumping into this in a way she had never seemed to want?

Maybe this was something JJ's lover could help her solve. If anyone knew anything about romance, it was _her_ Italian Stallion.

XXXXX

"Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions a bit fast, _bella_?" Dave asked, moving a lock of JJ's hair behind her ear. The two of them had just put Henry down to bed, and had moved to the couch where they could have a few glasses of wine before going to bed themselves.

JJ shook her head as Dave poured wine into her glass. "Dave, I don't think Penelope has ever wanted something like this to happen," she said. "She wants to be with someone she loves, who will support her. She has told me before she wants a fairytale ending, and I can't imagine this is the ending she meant."

Dave arched a brow. "And what ending is it you _imagine_ she had in mind?" He sat down beside her and clinked their glasses.

"She wants a family," JJ concluded. "Penelope is the lovey-dovey type. You know that and I know that. She wants a person to cuddle with, and not just a baby."

"Why do you care so much?" Dave asked, sipping his wine. "Why does it matter that Garcia wants to be a single mom? If she wants a baby, let her have a baby."

JJ rolled her eyes. "Dave, she needs to have a baby with someone she loves, with someone who loves her! She deserves that."

Taking her glass from her hand, Dave set both their glasses on the coffee table. He pulled her toward him so she was on his lap. She pressed her lips to his, and wrapped her arms around his neck. With a giggle, she leaned back to look him in the eye. Since her marriage with Will had disintegrated, Dave had been there to pick up the pieces of her heart. And she loved every second of it.

"This is what Garcia deserves," she murmured in his ear. "Something as wonderful as this."

Dave laughed. "I'm fairly certain I'm not what our technical analyst wants," he said. "Her tastes lean in a different direction than me."

Growing serious, JJ pulled away from Dave's attempt at kissing her again. "We've got to find her the perfect guy, Dave," she insisted. "We have to help her realize that so she doesn't do something she'll regret. I bet if we try, we'll find her the person she'd want to be her sperm donor anyway."

"You have to promise me if this starts to get out of hand that we stop," Dave insisted, "We can look for her soulmate or whatever the hell you want to call it. But if she gets pissed, that's it. I'd rather _not_ have my personal record rearranged by Penelope Garcia."

JJ grinned, straddling his waist. "She won't even know we're working our magic."


	2. Surprise Donor

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **So here's the second one of this little tale! Fluff kills me to write (my soul is like Maleficent, I think), but I'm actually enjoying this story a lot. I hope you guys will leave a review to let me know what you think :) Thanks to CeeCee333 and PolHop for helping with this chapter, too!**

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much for coming with me today, Jayje!" Penelope murmured so no one in the waiting room would hear the nervousness in her voice. She finished up the last signature needed for the sperm bank's official forms. She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. "I don't think I could do this alone." An anxious giggle bubbled from her mouth.

JJ smiled and rubbed her back to comfort her. "You're welcome," she said. "I'm happy for you."

Penelope shot her best girlfriend a doubtful glance. She knew better.

"Oh, c'mon, JJ," she said. "Don't lie. You were totally freaked out when I first told you."

Clearing her throat, JJ nodded. "Well, you know," she began, "I did a little thinking, and I've decided to be completely accepting of this. Have you told anyone else you decided to do this yet?"

"Nope," Penelope revealed. "I'm pretty sure I'm gonna wait on that until I actually get pregnant. I don't want to have people expecting something until there's something to…well, expect." She watched JJ's eyes carefully for any signs of more doubts. Sighing, she found them. "Oh, geez. What _now_?"

"Why haven't you at least told Morgan?" she asked. "I mean, he's your best friend. And even though the two of you broke up, you're still really close. Wouldn't you want to talk to him, just to tell him the news?"

Penelope sighed as she thought about Derek. She remembered their relationship, and the highlights of it had been the fantastic sex and the fights. They really did just fit better as best friends.

"This is something you talk to your girlfriends about," she insisted. "I'm pretty sure I'd rather be going through binders full of men with you than with Morgan. You know he would insult every guy in those books, and find some tiny reason why they're the worst choice I could ever make."

JJ shrugged. "He just wants what's best for you," she said.

Rolling her eyes, Penelope knew JJ was right. She also knew that Morgan was far too over protective for her to allow him to know she was seeking a sperm donor. She could hear the words in his head if he found out what she was doing.

 _Baby Girl, you don't know what freaks are out there_ , he would say.

Even thinking about him butting in made her irritated. He wouldn't even pause to think that this was what she wanted. He would just demand that a wall be put up around her where he would be the guard that kept every possible sperm donor at the gate.

"Garcia?"

Penelope's eyes flicked over to JJ's. "Huh?" she said, snapping back to attention.

"I asked when you think you will tell him," JJ repeated. "When do you think you'll tell anyone, actually?"

Shrugging, Penelope shook her head. "I don't know just yet," she said. "I'm probably going to wait until I actually get the positive test."

The truth was she hadn't even thought about when she would tell the rest of the team. She was so caught up in the initial joy of planning for a baby that she hadn't even thought about when she would tell her team about her decision. She thought about holding the pregnancy test in her hands, however many months from now, and finding the little plus sign on it that would tell her she was having a baby.

A smile entered her face at that image.

Penelope wanted this baby so she could have a person she could give her whole life to. No, she had not given up on men. But she had decided she wanted a child sooner rather than later. She wanted to be a mother more than anything. _That_ was her happy ending.

"Miss Garcia?"

Penelope and JJ looked toward the woman who had called for her and rose to their feet. Clutching the clipboard she had been scribbling her information on, Penelope strode to the woman who would be walking her through the process of getting sperm. She swallowed hard and grinned brightly at the woman.

"Hi!" she croaked. "That's me."

"Is this your partner with you?" the woman asked, smiling brightly at JJ. She stuck her hand to JJ for her to shake. "I'm Amelia Harrison."

Both Penelope and JJ exchanged wide-eyed glances. "Umm," Penelope began. "I –"

"Oh, don't be shy, dear," the woman said, leading them back toward her office. "Many lesbian couples come to us for –"

JJ interrupted, saving Penelope from having to answer. "No, I'm just her friend helping her find a donor," she explained.

They entered Amelia's office, and the other woman didn't even flinch at her mistake. "Oh, well it is always good to have a friend to be here to help."

Penelope, unsure of what to say, looked around the woman's office as she went around to sit behind her desk. Her eyes found a trio of three photos of babies, each of them smiling and wide-eyed. They looked inhumanly adorable.

"So, Miss Garcia," Amelia said, gesturing for them to sit in the seats in front of her desk. She sat down opposite them and looked at the clipboard in Penelope's hands. "Shall we get started?"

Swallowing hard, Penelope nodded and flashed the woman a nervous smile. She could hardly believe she was this close. Right in front of her was the answer to her happiness, and she was more than ready to reach out and take it. Handing over the clipboard, she said, "I'm more than ready!"

Amelia smiled. "Well then," she said, looking at Penelope's sheets she had filled out moments ago. "Let's get started, shall we?"

They went over the different processes of finding a donor and what the process to actually get pregnant would be. It took about thirty minutes. When Amelia finished with her explanations, she started ruffling around in her drawers for another form. "Where is that –"

Before she could say more, a knock sounded from the door. JJ and Penelope turned to look at the door, and who they found there made Penelope's jaw drop. Standing in the door, poking his head into the office was Kevin Lynch.

"Amelia!" he said, grinning. He waved. His eyes fell on Penelope and JJ. His eyebrows leapt to the top of his forehead. "Penny? Agent Jareau?" What are you two doing here?"

Penelope blinked her shock. "I, uh, well…" She didn't know how much she wanted to disclose to her ex-boyfriend, lest it make its way back to her team.

Amelia smiled. "Oh, hello Kevin," she said, cutting Penelope off so she wouldn't have to answer. "How are you today?"

Kevin turned to look at Amelia and grinned. "Just got done doing another donation!" he chirped. "I'm planning on…" He continued speaking, but the words fell on deaf ears.

The moment Penelope registered the fact that her dweeb ex-boyfriend donated sperm here regularly, she felt the sudden urge to dash out the door. What if some weird mix up happened and she ended up with a Kevin Lynch baby? She wouldn't be able to handle that. Her eyes met JJ's, and she could tell her friend was thinking the same thing.

Looking at her phone, Penelope feigned a gasp. "Oh, no!" she muttered. "JJ, we have a case. Hotch just sent me a text."

JJ looked confused for a moment, causing Penelope to look at her with desperate eyes. Finally understanding, JJ sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "Really? Well, I guess we should get going."

Penelope directed her attention to Amelia. "We'll have to reschedule this," she said, solemnly.

Amelia looked disappointed. "Oh, but we're so close to –"

"I know, and we're so upset we have to go," Penelope said, putting her coat on. She pulled JJ up by her hand and pulled her toward the door, past Kevin. She looked back over her shoulder once more at Amelia. "I'll call, and we can reschedule!"

Then she dashed out, tugging JJ out with her. She would just have to find another sperm bank, one where Kevin Lynch's sperm would have no chance of getting into her uterus.

XXXXX

"How was your day, Baby Girl?" Derek asked, bringing a bowl of popcorn around the island of Penelope's kitchen into her living room. "You and JJ disappeared at lunch and got back late."

She took a sip of her wine, keeping her face as neutral as she could. JJ had encouraged her to talk to Derek, to tell him what she was thinking, but she was sure in his reaction. The way he would react to this announcement would only make her goal of finding a sperm donor a living hell.

For now she was going to have to fake it.

"Oh, nothing," she lied. "We got distracted at lunch, that's all."

He laughed, seeming to not notice. Plopping down on the couch beside her, he offered her some of the popcorn. "You ladies just couldn't stop yammering, huh?" he teased.

"You know us ladies; we need to have our yak time." She looked over at him. Picking up his glass of wine on the coffee table, she handed it to him. They clinked glasses. Sighing, she picked up the remote and started their movie. As the opening credits played, she leaned her head against his strong shoulder.

Derek's mention of earlier made her think about how her plans had ben derailed, and now she was going to be waiting even longer for finding a donor. She didn't want to wait any longer. She wanted a baby.

"Baby, I know we're watching a movie, but you're never this quiet when we have a movie night," Derek said as the movie was starting after the opening credits.

Penelope looked up at him and shrugged. "I'm just tired," she murmured, sipping her wine. "Not been sleeping enough, I guess."

He laughed. "At least we can get some relaxation in before we have another case," he said, rubbing her shoulder. "It looks like the weekend won't have a case."

"Thank god," she murmured against his shirtsleeve. She allowed her thoughts to wander as the movie continued.

 _What will I name the baby_? she thought forlornly.

"Is there really nothing wrong?" Derek asked, concerned. "You're worrying me, Garcia."

Sitting up, Penelope sighed and looked Derek in the eye. She really didn't feel well – she was too depressed about the course of her donor search – but she didn't want that course to be slowed down more with Derek's worries added in.

So she avoided saying anything.

Smiling, she touched his cheek before placing her wineglass on the coffee table. "I really am just tired," she said, leaning against him again. "Let's just watch the movie."

Neither of them spoke after that, and Penelope allowed her eyelids to flutter shut as she fell asleep against her best friend's chest.


	3. Speed Dating

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Here's the next installment of this short little, light-hearted story. Sorry about the wait on it. Thank you for your reviews and patience!**

"I have found the perfect plan for finding Penelope her soul mate," JJ said, entering Dave's office and closing the door behind her. She grinned widely. She held up a flyer before placing it on his desk.

Dave looked up from his laptop, arching a brow at his lover. He picked up the paper and read it. He snorted before setting it down again. " _Bella_ , I love you, but I cannot believe you want to try _this_ as the way to get Garcia a boyfriend."

"Oh, come on!" she said, going around to wrap her arms around him from behind. She kissed the side of his face. "Speed dating doesn't sound fun to you? Going out to get Garcia a date doesn't sound entertaining?"

He balked. "You want _me_ to do the speed dating?" he said. "Why would I do that?" He turned his chair around abruptly so that JJ fell into his lap. Catching her in his arms, he laughed as he kissed her. She giggled and seated herself on his lap, nuzzling her nose into his neck. "Now, why would I go speed dating when you're in my life?"

JJ laughed, kissing him again. "You need to go speed dating because no one knows you and I are dating," she said. "And if the two of us go, then we can try and pretend so we can get Garcia a date."

Dave groaned. "I'm too old for these types of things," he said. "I don't think I would be the best person to go to this thing. And let's not forget how many men are going to want to take you home after that. I'd rather not go to jail for socking any guy who tries to come near you."

"Oh, you know I've only got eyes for you," she said, running her hand up his chest.

As he grasped her hand and readied himself to protest more, a knock sounded from the door. JJ leapt off of Dave's lap and moved to the other side of the desk. "Come on in!" Dave called, leaning forward to pretend he was studying the flyer.

The door opened to reveal Derek Morgan, his handsome face set in a gruff expression as he studied a file in his hands. He looked annoyed, but it didn't seem like he was going to say anything about what was irritating him. "Hey, Rossi, I –" he began. He stopped when he saw JJ in the office. "Oh, hey, JJ. What are you two doing in here?" He arched a brow. "And with the shades drawn?"

JJ cleared her throat. "We were actually planning something," she said, a light going off in her head. She snatched the flyer from Dave's desk and held it up so Morgan could read it. "We're going and I'm inviting Garcia to come with. You in?"

"Umm," Morgan said, looking at the flyer. "This is a speed dating event. You want _me_ to go with you to that?"

"Yeah, why not?" JJ said. "If Rossi is going, you should come, too. Both of you could use a night out with some gorgeous women around." Her eyes shot to Dave's, and she cast a subtle wink in his direction.

Morgan hadn't responded yet to what she had said. Instead, he stared at the paper. His jaw tightened, then untightened. "You said Garcia is going?" he asked.

"Well, we don't know just yet," JJ explained. "But I'm sure she'll want to do it. It's a night out, a night to dress up and be silly and meet some cute guys."

He was silent for a long moment, giving JJ and Dave the opportunity to exchange glances. They hoped this would work, but based on Morgan's lack of a reaction, neither had an idea of how this was going to go.

Morgan heaved a tired sigh and gave a reluctant nod. "Alright," he muttered, going forward to hand Dave the file he'd been handling. "Count me in."

XXXXX

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Penelope asked, fidgeting as she and JJ leaned against the bar at the restaurant where the speed dating event was being held.

JJ grinned at her. "Yeah," she said, raising her drink with confidence. "Definitely. You are going to have so much fun at this. You, me, Rossi, and Morgan are gonna get ourselves some numbers."

Penelope's eyes went wide. "Wh – what?" she sputtered. "Morgan is coming?"

Nodding, JJ sipped her drink to hide her guilt. She had completely forgotten to tell Penelope her ex would be coming with them. She prayed it wouldn't be a hindrance to her and Dave's goal for the night. JJ had no intentions of letting a former relationship getting in the way of finding Penelope a boyfriend to have a baby with.

"I didn't mention that?" JJ asked innocently, blinking twice at Penelope.

"Um, no," Penelope said, narrowing her eyes. "You didn't mention that at all." She sighed. "JJ, please tell me you aren't trying to set me up with Derek. Because while I love you, I won't hesitate to find some form of a bomb to drop on your perfect blonde-lock covered head if –"

JJ shook her head, furrowing her brow. "Good lord, no!" she said. "No, I know that bridge has been crossed. I just wanted to bring him out. He's been such a downer lately that I thought it would be good to invite him. He needs a girlfriend."

Shifting her weight, Penelope cleared her throat and took another sip of her fruity drink. "Yeah, I guess," she said.

"But enough about Morgan," JJ said. "How's the search for a new sperm bank going? One _without_ Kevin Lynch sperm in it." She gave a slight chuckle.

Penelope rolled her eyes this time. "It's going," she muttered. "It's all a matter of finding time to be able to go and look at a list of donors. I just never thought it would be this hard. I wish it would be easier." She heaved a heavy sigh.

"It'll be okay," JJ murmured, rubbing Penelope's shoulder. She looked at her friend and felt a pang in her heart. It also made her of how she felt thinking about wanting a child with Dave. He insisted he was too old to have a child other than Joy, but JJ insisted they would someday have a baby together. She knew exactly how Penelope felt.

"Ladies!" Both of the women turned in the direction of the person speaking in a booming voice. JJ smiled as Dave and Morgan came into view. Dave was grinning like a fool, but Morgan looked like a grump as he trailed behind.

Penelope attempted to smile as Dave came up and kissed both her cheeks. He moved to JJ next, and she had to force herself to not grasp his face to kiss him deeply. She held back by reminding herself this night was about Penelope and finding her a soul mate.

"Glad to see you boys finally showed up," JJ said, grabbing her drink and taking a sip of it again. Her eyes flicked to Penelope, who was handing Morgan a beer. They clinked their beverages before taking sips. Neither of them seemed happy to be there among all the other singles hoping to find their dream date at this event.

"Don't worry so much," Rossi said, leaning into her ear to tell her. "They look miserable now, but I'm positive we'll be seeing them coming away with some numbers."

JJ swallowed. "Let's hope so," she mumbled as the bell signaling they were ready to begin the dating.


	4. Entomologists and Fake Boobs

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Here's the next one of this little story. Thank you so much for your reviews! To answer the guest reviewer who decided to call themselves "not saying": yes, this is a Morgan and Garcia story, it says that in the story summary box. Hope you'll all enjoy!**

Derek watched as the woman running the speed dating event prattled on. His ears barley registered what she was saying. He truly didn't care, though. The only reason he was here was because he wanted to spend more time with Penelope. Since their breakup a year ago, he had only dated two women, neither of them serious at all. He still held onto a small shred of hope she would want him back.

Since she was coming to this, apparently that was not the case.

His eyes drifted over to her as she listened intently to the event coordinator. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, "You ready to be bored out of your mind tonight, Baby Girl?"

She scoffed. "I'm actually going to try and have fun," she shot back. "You should, too."

"Hah!" he snickered. "You really think _I'm_ gonna find someone here?"

Penelope turned her face ever so slightly so she could smirk at him. He couldn't stop his eyes from going wide at how close her face was to his now. He was so close to her that he could smell her alluring honeysuckle perfume. A smell that heavenly enticed him. "You just have to open your options, Morgan. You're a handsome Adonis. There's a reason I dated you for so long."

She winked at him as the bell was run and the women were instructed to take their seats to begin the event. Derek watched her as she walked away, lamenting the fact they had broken up yet again. He didn't want to be here with them going around and meeting multiple people who would never be the right match for him.

In his mind, he was the only one for her, just like she was the only one for him.

"Morgan, how're you feeling?"

Derek looked to his side to see Rossi coming up to his side. He nodded, taking his eyes off of Penelope so he could talk with Rossi. "What's up, Rossi?" he greeted.

"You ready to try and find a date?" Rossi asked.

"This isn't really my scene," Derek admitted. "I'm here because you all came out."

Rossi gave him a probing look, but nodded slowly after a moment. "Right. Well, I myself am hoping to find a lovely young lady to go home with. It might be interesting to –"

Derek tried to hold it back, but he couldn't stop himself from bursting out laughing. "Okay, Rossi," he chuckled. "I really can't hear that with a straight face."

"And why not?" Rossi said, lowering his voice.

"Rossi…for real. These women are your daughter's age," Derek remarked. "You really think you'll find a date here?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Rossi nodded a challenge to Derek. "Alright then," he said. "Man who gets the most numbers at the end of the night gets bragging rights and provides funds for the date one of us chooses to go on."

Derek's eyes drifted to Penelope again as she was sitting down at her table. Her face glowed in the candlelight of the tea lights on the table, and it showed off her red satin dress in a flattering way. Even though he had no intention of calling any woman he met her tonight, he couldn't very well back down from a bet either. He didn't want to hurt his ego in any way at all.

"You're on, old man," Derek said, sticking at his hand to shake Rossi's as the bell was rung for them to begin their dates.

XXXXX

"So what do you do for a living, Penelope?"

Penelope blinked at the man sitting across from her before giving him a demure smile. He sat with good posture, well-dressed with a pleasant smile on his face. He had a slight accent, indicating a Latin heritage.

A warm feeling filled her belly. Maybe _this_ could be her sperm donor. He looked like he would make a beautiful baby.

Leaning forward, she smiled at him wider. "Well, José, I work for the FBI," she said. "I'm my team's technical analyst and all-around superwoman."

He laughed, showing his beautiful white teeth. "Superwoman, huh?" He leaned forward as well. "I know something about being a super human myself. I'm an entomologist. Top in my field."

Somehow that deflated Penelope's interest in him. The guy studied _bugs_? She didn't want to be rude, but this had stolen away anything she could want in this man.

"Oh, wow," she said, clearing her throat. "Well, that's –"

"It's amazing," he interrupted. "Our work is so important. We study the mating habits of termites. It's fascinating stuff."

 _Definitely don't want this guy's sperm anywhere_ near _my uterus_ , she thought frantically.

"I think you would find the lab I work in fascinating," he continued. "It's absolutely amazing. I'd love to show you sometime. I think you would find the pheromones that they exude are very…seductive." He gave her a sleazy smile.

Despite not wanting to be rude, her mouth dropped. She couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. This asshole was reminding her of an episode of an _X Files_ episode with the pushy entomologist flirting with Scully. The bell couldn't ring fast enough to release her from this date.

Thankfully, these individual dates lasted a total of seven minutes. When the bell rang, she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to spend another moment with this man who was overly proud to be a bug man.

"Send me your number at the end of the night," he said with a wink as he rose from his seat to move to the next woman. "I'd love to hear from a woman as beautiful as you again soon."

"Mmm," she said skeptically.

Penelope rubbed her temples in exasperation, hoping she would have some better luck with the next few.

Luck was not her friend. The next few were just as much of a bust as the entomologist. They didn't have the creep factor José had had, but they didn't hold her interest in any way, shape, or form.

"Well, now," a voice said. "What might your name be?"

Penelope looked up. In front of her stood Derek, a smile on his face. She smiled back, extending her hand for him to shake. "Well handsome sir, I'm Penelope. Who might you be?"

He sat down across from her, his teeth glowing in the candlelight. "Derek," he replied with a silly grin.

She puckered her lips. "Ooh," she purred. "What a sexy name."

He sat down in front of her and grinned even wider. "Thanks. I like it, too."

"So how's the night going?" she asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. "Meeting any gorgeous ladies yet?"

Derek held her gaze as she watched him. "No one who is holding my interest," he admitted. "I'm not into these things. You know me. Too many women with fake boobs show up."

She murmured low in her throat. "Chocolate Thunder, you are too much. I bet you've found six girls you want to take home already…fake boobs or not."

He shrugged. "There might be one woman here I'm into," he said. He looked away from her briefly. She studied him closer, realizing he must have been thinking about whoever the lady was he was talking about. His face in the candlelight reminded her why she had fallen for him all those years ago. Not only was he handsome, but he was kind as well. She would put her life in his hands. When they broke up, she was thrilled they managed to stay friends. Adding sex to their relationship had complicated things, even though it had been wonderful. Did she miss him sometimes? Hell yes. But then she remembered how much they fought in their relationship, and then being best friends seemed like the best thing in the world.

Yet, something stirred inside Penelope as they sat there. She stared at the contours of his face and a warm feeling filled her belly. The warmth spread through her veins, spreading to her limbs until her whole body was warm and tingly.

"What?" Derek laughed, snapping her out of her daze. "Whatcha lookin' at, Baby Girl?"

She shook her head. "Oh, um, nothing," she said, nonchalantly. "Just curious about how things are going to go for the rest of the night."

He chuckled. "Well, if this makes you feel any better, Rossi and I have a bet going on. We're going to see who gets the most numbers at the end of the night. Winner goes home with the sexy lady of his choice with the loser for the first date."

Penelope blinked several times at him, silent.

"Umm…what?" she said, unable to figure out anything else to say. She felt a twinge of something she didn't have a name for in her heart, but nevertheless, she felt it.

Derek laughed, probably at the expression on her face. "You sound really surprised."

"Just…isn't it a little unfair?" she asked. "I mean, Rossi is, well…he's older than a lot of the women here. And you're the most beautiful man in the room."

He shot her his thousand-watt grin. "You think I'm the most _beautiful_ man in the room?"

Swallowing hard, Penelope regretted her words. They sounded too serious. She really shouldn't have said that. She shouldn't have tried giving him hints that she might still be interested in him.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think you're the most beau – " he began to say.

Before he could finish his sentence, the bell signaling the end of their date rang. Derek's attention was drawn elsewhere, giving her an opportunity to try to slow her racing heart. Had he been about to tell her she was the most beautiful woman in the room, too?

Everything flew out the door at the mention of that, even her desire to be a mom.

Derek looked back at her and tweaked her nose. He rose to his feet, her silently watching him. "I'll see you at the end of the night, sexy girl." He gave her a wink before moving to the table next to her.

Penelope's eyes followed Derek as he sat down in front of a woman with huge fake boobs and too much eyeliner on. She pursed her lips as he smiled at her and shook her hand.

"Hi there," a voice said.

Looking back over at her date, Penelope smiled at the new man in front of her. He was handsome enough, reminding her a little bit of an adult version of Edward Cullen. Somehow that didn't faze her like she thought it would.

"Hi there back, handsome stranger," she said, sticking her hand out to shake.

The bell twinkled, starting the date, and Penelope braced herself for another hour of dates with lesser men than her ex boyfriend.

XXXXX

"Thank God this is over," Derek grumbled as he and Rossi went to the bar when the event ended. "None of these women were interesting at all. The best ones were JJ and Penelope, and we all know that's not going anywhere."

Rossi snorted, flagging down the bartender. He ordered them both scotches and turned to look at Derek again. "Yeah, well," he began, "you better be ready to pay for my date with the prettiest woman in the room. I'm winning our bet if it's the last thing I do."

Derek accepted the scotch given to him by the bartender and raised it to his friend. "We'll see about that."

There was only one woman he really cared about, though.

As they waited for Penelope and JJ to come out of the bathroom, the woman in charge of the event coordination approached them with a stack of cards in her hand. She grinned brightly at them.

"Hello gentlemen," she said. "Can I get your names so I can give you your cards and matchmaking results?"

"Matchmaking results?" Derek asked, arching a brow.

She nodded. "Yes, when you filled out the questionnaires to register for the event, we go through all the results to see if there are any women you matched with. It helps you go through the results and figure out who you might want to call first if the woman wants you to call her."

"Oh," Rossi said. "Well, I'm David Rossi and he's Derek Morgan. Let's see our cards." He shot Derek an amused look that said he was still confident he would be the winner.

The woman flipped through her cards until she found the bundles with their names. She handed Rossi's to him first, and then looked to Derek. Smiling in recognition, she handed him his stack. "Ah, yes!" she said, excited. "I knew I recognized your name."

He arched a brow. "Umm, thanks?" he said.

"You and one of the women who filled out questionnaires got the first one hundred percent match our service has ever gotten!" she exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

Taking his stack without bothering to count the cards for his stupid bet with Rossi, Derek looked at his match sheet to see who his one hundred percent match was.

When he saw her name, a bright grin broke out on his face.


	5. A New Plan

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Here's the next of the fluffy tale! It's a nice reprieve from my more angsty stories going on. Thank you so much for your reviews. Y'all keep me typing :)**

Derek sat on a barstool as he fiddled with the card in his hand that told him he was a one hundred percent match for Penelope. He took a sip of his scotch and resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Penelope flirting with one of the men she had met at the speed dating. They hadn't yet left the bar where the event had been held, and numerous singles were mingling with one another.

Several women had approached him, but so far he had no interest in speaking with any of them. The only one he had any interest in speaking with was the woman across the room.

"You should give me a call, Handsome," one of the women with the fake boobs he had met purred. She leaned against the bar and winked at him. "I'm a lot of fun, I _promise_."

He shot her a look. There was no denying this woman was after him. But she was too skinny for him, she didn't have a sweet enough disposition, and she lacked that devilish charm that made him excited everyday he walked into work.

"I'll keep that in mind…" He found himself searching for her name, but he couldn't quite remember it.

"Kelly," she reminded him.

Nodding, Derek took a sip of his scotch. "I'll keep that in mind, Kelly," he repeated with a smirk.

She smiled triumphantly, as if Derek had just promised to let her have his babies. "I'll be awaiting your phone call," she said, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

Derek shivered, and not in a good way.

As soon as Kelly sauntered away, Derek thought he might be afforded some peace and quiet. However, a hand clapping down on his back shattered his tranquility. He tilted his head in the direction of the hand. It was just JJ.

"Hey, Champ," she joked, sitting down on the barstool beside him. She laughed, raising her strawberry margarita to salute him. "Why the long face? You're turning down all these ladies left and right. Aren't the leggy ones your type?"

Derek snorted, eyeing his rather tipsy friend as she chuckled into her hand. "You find any guys you want to call you?" he asked, switching the subject to her.

She shook her head. "Tut tut, Morgan," she scolded. "You're not getting off that easy. You're the one who needs a love life right now the most. You needed to find a girl here."

Taken a back, he frowned. "Excuse me?" he said, annoyed. "What makes you say _I'm_ the one who most needs a love life? You, Garcia, and Rossi don't exactly have such hoppin' sex every week either."

"Yeah, but Dave and I don't mope over our exes like you do," she snorted. "And for your information, I get great action, so shush your mouth."

Derek had nothing to say to refute what she said because there was nothing to deny. He really did mope over the fact Penelope broke up with him. He remained silent at JJ's observation of his apparently obvious feelings.

Eventually, though, he found himself unable to bring something about Penelope up. He couldn't help it; the sight of her laughing at something some douchebag was saying overtook his former stoicism.

"Well, it's funny you should mention that because I got some very good news." Smug, he pulled out his match card with Penelope and slapped it down in front of JJ. "Read it and weep, blondie," he said.

JJ picked up the card and read it. She nodded as if impressed, but then tossed it over her shoulder so it fluttered to the ground. "Derek, you have to move on. You can't win her back." Giving him a sympathetic glance, she added, "It sounds harsh, but you know what? A failed relationship will just make you more upset."

Even if JJ was going to be pessimistic about it, Derek wasn't willing to give up so easily. He hopped off his barstool and went to pick up the card. Wiping the nonexistent dust off of it, he pocketed the card in his breast pocket. He was keeping this close by, even if just to remind himself they were a perfect match.

"Oh, Morgan, Morgan," JJ _tsk_ ed. "I never knew you were such a romantic."

Derek sighed. "There's a lot most of you don't know about me, JJ." Even though he tried to come across as aloof to JJ's observations, it pained his heart. When he looked back at Penelope, that pain only intensified.

XXXXX

"David, my love," JJ cooed as Dave guided her back into his house. "I'm thinking we've got to rethink our soulmate plan for our beloved Garcie."

He chuckled at the slightly slurred words of his lover. She nuzzled her face in his neck, purring like a cat. "You sure you're in any state to plot Garcia's future?" he asked, lifting JJ off her feet to gently set her on the couch. He sat beside her and kissed her softly.

JJ nodded lazily up at him, giggling with a glazed over look in her eyes. "I think if we're gonna find her a soulmate, we don't need to look further than our front door."

Pulling her into his arms to hold her tightly, he smiled down at her. After a night of having to pretend like it didn't bother him one bit that she was getting ogled by a bunch of much younger men, he was ready to hold her in his arms until there was no possible way he could any longer. He ran his hand over her back. He didn't think he should take anything she was saying seriously. Very soon he would be taking her upstairs to get her into bed. He was going to let her have her drunken fun now, though.

"What do you mean, _bella_?" he asked.

"We just gotta get her back together with _Morgan_!" she drawled, her fingers dancing across his beard. "Oh my _God_ , the way he was looking at her? It was insane. I couldn't believe it."

Dave couldn't help but chuckle at that. There was no way they would be able to orchestrate that. Penelope had made it pretty clear she wouldn't get back together.

"No, I's serious!" JJ slurred, resting her head against his shoulder and snuggling in. She sighed happily. "They got a one hundred percent match on the personality tests! I saw it on Derek's card he got! I think we're going to get them together. We're good matchmakers. They'll get back together, then they'll have that baby Penelope wants so bad."

"Okay, JJ," he murmured, playing with the ends of her blonde hair. "Whatever you say." He would see if she remembered this idea in the morning. He wondered if he would actually mind getting Morgan and Garcia back together. It certainly would lower the amount of searching, but the real question was if it would be a wise idea.

Derek and Penelope set off sparks when they were in the same room together. Dave was concerned if he and JJ meddled with those two, those sparks would set them all on fire and burn their whole plan to the ground.


	6. A Stranger's Bun

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews on this story. Thank you for reading it. It's very fluffy so it's different from what I usually write. I hope you'll like this new chapter :)**

JJ knocked on the door to Penelope's office, the bag of sushi takeout she had bought for lunch for them in one hand. She rehearsed her idea over and over in her head that she was going to bring up to her friend in just a few moments. It had been several weeks since the speed dating event, and so far Penelope had only gone out on a few dates with two different men who had called her. She seemed to be fairly disinterested in both men, though, and that did not bode well for her soulmate search.

Dave and JJ had very different plans for her, though. They were committed to reuniting Derek and Penelope, and that was going to happen one way or another.

Morgan's one hundred percent match card was all the proof JJ needed. Instead of finding Penelope just _any_ soulmate, she just had to find a way to reunite her with her ex boyfriend.

"I come bearing sushi," JJ said with a grin as soon as Penelope opened the door.

Penelope grinned cheekily back. "You got me my California rolls?" she asked with a glimmer of joy in her eye.

JJ nodded, following Penelope into her office. "Yup," she said. "I've got it all." They plopped themselves down in the chairs at her desk, careful to keep things away from the computers. She handed Penelope's food over to her, along with a pair of chopsticks.

"Oh, you are my favorite person on the planet right now!" Penelope cooed, opening her container of California rolls. She skipped the chopsticks and plucked her first roll out with her fingers. She popped it in her mouth and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. "This is so good, it's orgasmic!"

Laughing, JJ used her chopsticks to pick up her first salmon roll. She observed her friend's behavior and body language as she excitedly prattled on about what her plans were for the weekend. But all JJ could think about was how she planned to get Penelope interested in Derek once again. Penelope prattled on, with JJ nodding along even though she wasn't truly listening.

"And I also started looking around online again for a different sperm bank," Penelope's voice broke through her daze. She took a sip from her mug of tea before pulling out a stack of papers that had the logo for a sperm bank on it. "I was wondering if you could come with me this weekend to help me figure out –"

JJ's eyes went wide. "Wait, you're still going through with this?" she asked. She couldn't believe the search for a baby daddy was still on when she hadn't heard about it since before they went speed dating.

Penelope's mouth fell open as JJ's statement hung in the air. She was too shocked to speak.

"Oh, no!" JJ said, realizing what her statement had sounded like. "Garcie, I didn't mean it like that. I misspoke. I didn't mean anything about wanting you to give up on the baby. I just meant –"

"You just meant why would I still be looking for sperm donors when I am dating people?" Penelope suggested.

Shrugging, JJ nodded. "I mean, I guess so," she said. "It just seems like –"

"Like something that will scare a guy off," Penelope concluded.

Seeing the look of downtrodden dismay on her friend's face, JJ immediately felt bad. She set her chopsticks down and folded her hands in front of her. It was now or never. She needed to plant her seeds of an idea while her friend was still speechless.

"I guess part of the reason I'm saying that is because I've been doing some thinking," JJ said. She observed Penelope's face, choosing her words carefully so as not to upset her. But how on earth was she going to push her in Derek's direction when she seemed intent on not getting back together with Morgan? She balked for a moment, trying to find the words.

Penelope blinked at her expectantly. "Anytime now, Jayje," she pressed.

"I think – I think you should try asking someone you know to be a donor," JJ finally blurted out. "Or at least consider it."

Silence blanketed the room while Penelope thought about what JJ had just said. She seemed like she was seriously thinking about it, at least as far as JJ could tell.

"You think I should ask someone I know," Penelope repeated.

JJ nodded, trying to appear as though she had been thinking about this from the start. "Yeah," she said. "I think that would make your search a lot easier, and you would be able to breathe knowing it isn't some stranger's bun you've got cookin' in the oven." She tried to keep her voice light.

Penelope giggled nervously at the idea. "Well," she said. "I guess I could give that a thought. I have no idea who I would ask, though."

"You never know," JJ said, pensively. She had just the person in mind for Penelope to ask. But she couldn't imagine Penelope thinking of many men whose sperm she would want anywhere near her other than Derek Morgan.

XXXXX

Penelope stood at the coffeepot later in the afternoon. She huffed at the now-empty pot, bemoaning the fact she had no coffee. This was not what she needed on a day like today. After her conversation at lunch with JJ, she felt an overwhelming sense of added pressure to find the perfect sperm donor.

After the past few weeks of going on dates with men who ended up boring her, she was itching to get back to searching for a donor. She didn't care any longer that JJ wanted her to find a man; she wanted a baby because right now there was no one she could think of she wanted to be with.

There was still time to find someone to grow old with. Having a baby had a timeline on it, though. Sure, women were having babies older and older, but it still wasn't indefinite.

With a sigh, she started work on getting a new pot brewing. As she waited for the coffee to get going, she caught sight of Morgan in the hall. He looked stressed beyond belief. Smiling to herself, she headed toward his office. Coffee could wait. Knocking on the door, she poked her head in and waved.

"You're looking stressed, Baby Boy," she remarked, plopping down in the chair in front of his desk.

He smiled back at her. "Don't I always?"

She laughed. "Maybe a little bit," she said, lifting her fingers to show a small distance.

Derek leaned back in his chair. "What's up?" he asked. He glanced at the clock. "You're here later than you should be." He swallowed hard. "No hot date tonight?"

Shrugging, she shook her head. "No," she said. "I'm not feeling into it. I don't think any of those men are the ones for me." She chuckled. "Makes me wonder if I'm ever going to find someone."

Derek looked her in the eye, his face going completely serious. "Penelope, if there's one thing I know about you, it's that you're going to find a guy someday. The question will be if _he_ deserves _you_. You'll be the greatest thing to happen to that guy when you find him. And you wanna know why? Because you're the best person I know. You're beautiful and kind and funny. The best thing that will ever happen to him."

As the words reached Penelope's ears, she felt something stir inside her. Her belly filled with a warm fire that refused to burn out. Tears burned behind her eyes, but she forced herself not to cry. That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.

It was things like this that made him her best friend. He may have had a tough shell, but underneath it was the kindest man she had ever met.

It was then she remembered something JJ had said to her earlier.

 _You would be able to breathe knowing it isn't some stranger's bun you've got cookin' in the oven._

Taking a deep breath, Penelope sat up straighter. JJ was right. She could trust Derek, and she knew he had damn good genes. Maybe she could ask this question without tripping over her own words. If she didn't ask now, she would never be able to gain the courage to do it again.

It was now or never.

"You okay in there, Baby Girl?" he laughed, waving his hand in her face. "You disappeared for a second."

"I – I want to ask you something," she murmured.


	7. A Request

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **So here's the next chapter of this fun little story! I hope you'll enjoy it :)**

Derek waited patiently for Penelope's question, but nothing happened. Instead, her squirming form greeted him. He arched a brow. What was she waiting for? She should have known she could talk to him about anything. Unless this was something incredibly serious, he couldn't imagine why she looked uncertain.

"Baby? What's wrong?" he asked.

Penelope took a deep breath. "Listen," she began, "I've been doing some thinking." She didn't say anything, staying silent and blinking at him.

He coughed. "Umm, okay?"

"Well, I've been thinking that I'm getting a little bit older, and I – I've been talking with JJ a lot, and she's been helping me," she prattled on. Derek had no idea where this was going, but before he could question her, she continued. "But along the way, while she was helping me, she gave me some advice. She said I should ask a person I know, a person I trusted." She paused to bite her lip.

Derek sat back, not understanding still. "Wh –"

But Penelope interrupted him. "I'm trying to say that, I want to be a mom. I – I want to have a baby, and I wanted to ask you if you would be my sperm donor," she blurted out, appearing shocked at herself for what she said.

Derek had no idea what to say. This question completely threw him off. He fell into a spot where everything disappeared and his whole body went numb. Ringing started in her ears. His eyes fell on Penelope's face that had flushed red with embarrassment.

Had Penelope really just asked what he thought she had asked?

"Oh, God!" she cried, breaking the silence. Leaping to her feet, she shook her head and waved her hands. "Just forget I asked. I'm going to go!"

Hurriedly, she made her way toward the door. Derek jumped into action without a second thought. In two long strides he reached the door, putting his hand on it to stop her from opening it.

"Wait," he murmured. "Don't leave."

She looked him in the eye, shaking her head. "Really, I can't believe I even asked this," she muttered. "I'm so embarrassed, just let me out."

Trying to cheer her up, he smiled. "Garcia, you can't drop a question like that on me, and then expect you can just jump out of the room," he teased. "We need to talk about this. You can't leave after that."

"Derek, it was way out of line for me to ask that," she said hastily. "We dated and we fought and we broke up because of it. I shouldn't have asked you this at all."

He frowned. "Why not?" he asked. When he slowed down to think about it, he liked her question. It showed she trusted him, and there was nothing he wanted more in the world than for her to be able to depend on him. He trusted her, and he wanted to give her that same feeling.

She huffed. "You know why not!" she cried. "Because no one wants their ex-girlfriend asking them to be their baby daddy!"

Derek laughed, shaking his head. "Penelope, why would you think I wouldn't want to hear that?" he asked.

"Because!" she said, backing away to stare at him with an incredulous stare.

When she didn't elaborate, he shrugged. "Because what?"

" _Because_ it's not something an ex-girlfriend should ask an ex-boyfriend," she stated, rolling her eyes.

Derek shook his head. "Baby Girl, I'm glad you asked me," he said. "Really happy."

Penelope stared at her. "You…" Her voice trailed off. Swallowing hard, she cocked her head to the side. "You're happy I asked?"

He smiled, trying to comfort her. "I'm happy," he repeated. "And I'm gonna say yes." Her mouth dropped, and the look of shock on her face made him crack an even larger smile. "Is that not what you wanted to hear?"

Shaking her head, she nodded vigorously. Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him tightly. Small beads of wetness dotted the skin of his neck. Tears. Holding her back, he sighed at what he was about to ask. Even if she said no, he would still do what she asked of him, but the smallest sliver of hope filled him that she might agree.

She moved back and wiped her eyes. "I'm not dreaming, am I?" she asked with a laugh.

"You're not dreaming," he confirmed.

Penelope clapped her hands together. "Thank you," she said, placing her hand on his chest. "Thank you _so_ much."

"I'm gonna do it for you, Baby Girl," he murmured, reaching forward to tweak her nose. "But can I ask you something?"

Penelope nodded vigorously. "God, yes!" she exclaimed. "Anything you want! You just said yes to being my sperm donor, you can have anything you want!" Her eyes went wide. "Do you want to be a dad for him or her? 'Cause that would be awesome! We can figure out a schedule, and everything!"

He took a deep breath. "No, no," he murmured. When he thought about it a moment, though, yes, it was that. But he wanted more than just that. "Actually, yes, that is what I want. But that's not my question. I just want to know if…if you'll give me another try." Her eyes went wide and she opened her mouth to speak. "Even if you say no, I'm still going to be your donor. But I have to ask you this now, or I don't think I'll ever have the courage to tell you. I just want to go on a date with you. One date."

She stood in silence, surprised at what he had said. He prayed she would say something soon and not leave them in dead silence.

"Why?" she asked, finally speaking. "Why do you want me to go out with you?"

Derek didn't even need to think before he spoke. "I want you to give me another shot because I'm still in love with you, always have been." Hesitantly, he reached forward and moved a lock of her hair out of her face. He smiled. "I don't care how much we fought, I love you more than I hated that." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out their one hundred percent match card and handed it to her. "This showed me what I needed to do."

She took the card in shaking hands and read it.

He watched as her eyes scanned the card. A small mist covered her eyes, and she covered her mouth as if to cover a gasp. His gut churned as he waited for her answer. When she finally looked up, her tears had started to roll down her cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" she asked.

Derek shrugged. "I wasn't brave enough," he admitted.

Nodding slowly, she looked away to contemplate what he had just said to her. He grew nervous at the amount of time it was taking for her to respond. Had he been too out of line by asking this? Did it mean she was about to reject him completely?

Had he just ruined their friendship?

"I – I need some time to think," Penelope said finally. "I'm not saying no, I just…I just want to think about what you asked."

Without another word, she went for the doorknob again, leaving him in the silence of his office.


	8. All Going According To Plan

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews. I hope you'll enjoy this one! Thank you very much for the reviews :)**

JJ burst into Penelope's office the next morning with two cups of coffee. "Dearest, Garcie!" she chirped. "I've got your coffee for ya. Your usual caramel macchiato with the usual list of things you want done to it." She was eager to find out if her friend had given any more thought to what she was going to do, and if asking Derek had even crossed her mind.

Penelope sat in her office, staring at the wall with a blank expression. She didn't say a word as JJ set the coffee down in front of her. JJ arched a brow. What the hell could this possibly mean?

"Umm, what are you doing?" she asked Penelope in confusion.

"I asked for Derek to be my sperm donor," Penelope said, still not blinking.

JJ could have leapt with joy. The plan had worked. She grinned, thinking about the fact she and Dave would be having a celebratory bottle of wine and round of rowdy, pleased-with-themselves sex that night.

"That's amazing!" she said, feigning surprise. "I'm so excited for you. What did he say?"

"He said yes," Penelope murmured, still not looking at her friend. Instead, she swallowed hard and reached for her coffee. She took a sip of the steaming liquid, not even phased by the fact it was extra hot.

Now JJ was completely confused. "Okay," she drawled out. "Then…why do you look like someone just rolled over Sergio with their car?"

"Because he asked me to go on a date with him as well," she replied blankly.

This time, JJ remained quiet. She had no idea what to say. Her and Dave's suspicions had been entirely correct when they assumed Derek still wanted to be with Penelope. But something seemed strange about the way she was acting when relaying the fact to JJ.

"So are you telling me he is saying he'll _only_ let you have his sperm if you go on a date with him?" JJ asked, thinking this sounded nothing like Derek. She frowned. "He's holding his sperm hostage?"

Penelope shook her head. "No, no," she protested. "He's going to give it to me no matter what. But he said…he said he's still in love with me." She finally looked up at JJ, her eyes wide. "He – he showed me a card from the speed-dating night that had us at a one hundred percent match that he just didn't show me before."

A smile spread over JJ's face at the thought of Derek's admission. She could have clapped her hands together with glee. This was what she and Dave had been waiting for.

"Well…" she started, trying to appear like all of this was a surprise to her. "That's great news! Are you going to take him up on the date? I think that would be great. Can you imagine if you – "

Penelope shook her head. "I don't know if I'm going to take him up on the date," she said, finally reaching for the coffee JJ had set before her.

"What?" JJ cried. "Why not?"

Shooting her an incredulous look, Penelope rose to her feet and looking like she was trying to soothe her shaking nerves. JJ studied her friend carefully. There was something off in her expression. She seemed unsettled by what Derek had asked her. This didn't seem like Penelope at all.

"Derek and I didn't have a real great relationship!" Penelope said, her wringing her hands together. "It wasn't that we didn't love each other, but we just…we just work better as best friends."

JJ leaned against the desk. She frowned. "Other than fighting, what was so bad about it?" She waited expectantly for Penelope to answer, but when her friend came up with nothing, JJ went on. "You guys are best friends. You had some really _great_ times when you were together. Aside for one or two huge fights – which ended in amazing makeup sex, according to you – and a few mini fights, what made it so bad?"

Penelope's lower lip trembled. "I – I don't know," she stuttered.

"See, that's what I'm saying!" JJ said happily. "You and Derek have a normal relationship. Everyone is going to fight sometimes, and your relationship is perfect the way it is. All you're doing is adding some sexy magic back into the mix." She winked at Penelope.

Penelope's face remained pale, even as she tried to smile at JJ. "I still don't know," she admitted. Sighing, she returned to her seat and took another sip of her coffee. "I'll let you know what I'm going to do when I think about it more."

JJ smiled sadly at her best friend. "Okay, Garcia," she said. She left the office, knowing Penelope wanted some time alone to think about what her options were.

Hurriedly, she dashed toward Dave's office. The news practically bubbled out of her lips when she closed the door, much to his shock. His eyes went wide as the door

"Umm, JJ, what's going on?" he asked, rising to his feet.

She grinned widely, taking both his hands as she stood in front of him. "Everything is working!"

Smiling, Dave took her hands as well and placed a kiss on her forehead. "As gorgeous as you look when you're excited, I have no idea why you're acting like this," he said.

"Derek told Penelope he's still in love with her after she asked him to be her sperm donor!" she cried in excitement, throwing her arms around his neck. She rambled on about everything Penelope had told her. "You and I, my dear David, are the greatest matchmakers in history. We've successfully maneuvered things so these two are back in love and ready to –"

"Okay, _Bella_ , back up," Dave said. "Did I miss something, or did you completely miss the fact that Penelope hasn't decided to actually get back with Derek?"

JJ blinked several times. "Well, yeah that's just a tiny detail, though," she said. "I'm sure she's going to say yes."

Dave smiled, kissing her softly. "While I agree with you, I think you just need to slow down for a few minutes," he said. "We need to see if they'll actually get together."

JJ pouted and shook her head. "I'm sure it'll work," she said. "We just have to wait until they announce they're back together and having a baby."


	9. Decision

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Sorry about the delay! Fluffy/happy** _ **really**_ **isn't my thing, as anyone who has already read my stories knows, so this as been a bit harder to get done. Thanks for your patience and please enjoy :)**

Penelope sat in her office, awaiting the arrival of the team. They had been on a case in Tennessee for the past week, not leaving her any chance to really talk with Derek about his proposal he'd brought her.

But where she hadn't had any time to talk with him, she'd had plenty of time to think over what he asked of her.

Looking down at her nails, she noticed the spots where she had been picking at the manicure she'd just gotten. She couldn't think about anything other than Derek and what he had said to her, that he still loved her. Glancing over at her desk, her eyes caught sight of a photo of her and Derek, taken before they were ever together. They looked remarkably happy.

Tears filled her eyes. What was going on with her emotions? She wiped her eyes, frustrated. She didn't want this to happen to her, this inability to understand what she was feeling, but it was striking her without warning.

"Why me?" she muttered aloud to herself.

Penelope leaned back in her chair to stare at the ceiling. Derek had been perfectly willing to give her his sperm. He hadn't even flinched. She wanted a baby desperately, and here was a man right in front of her who was ready to hand her a small cup of semen. And this was right after insisting he was in love with her.

She turned in her chair, moving her thoughts from Derek to her conversation with JJ. It wasn't that much of a jump away from him, but it gave her something else to focus on. JJ spoke with an earnest belief that Penelope and Derek's relationship was something that could be salvaged. Did JJ really think that if she asked for his sperm that the relationship would rekindle, simply from that question?

This decision was more difficult than anything Penelope ever could have imagined. She knew Derek wouldn't back out on her, but did she have it in her to give a tumultuous, failed relationship another go?

Jumping to her feet, Penelope smoothed her skirt. She knew the team would be returning shortly, and she needed to get a breath of fresh air before figuring out her next steps. In truth, she had no idea what she was going to do. But she needed to figure something out. She wanted to know who the father of her baby was going to be, and she wanted to search inside herself for if she thought Derek Morgan was the right man for the job.

XXXXX

Penelope sat in Derek's desk chair an hour later, her legs crossed in front of her as she waited expectantly for the team to enter the building. She knew they were on their way back and would arrive soon. What JJ had told her rang through her head, leading her to come to a decision.

She was going to accept Derek's offer for a date.

JJ was right: Derek and her _had_ a good relationship, one where they were able to maintain their friendship afterward. There were certainly some things they had to iron out before they could be what they once were when they were in full swing, but she was going to start now. His admission of love to her was enough to break down the barriers separating her from how she had always felt about him, even if she tried to deny it.

So here she sat, waiting.

Soon enough, she saw members of her team stream by Derek's office through the windows. They gave her probing looks as they saw her, but none of them stopped to ask what she was doing. JJ's look, though, told Penelope she knew what she was doing there.

As she sat waiting for Derek, her palms tingled with anxiety. She could do this. Within moments of thinking her positive thought, Derek appeared in the doorway. His eyebrows leapt upward when he saw her in his desk chair.

"Garcia?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

Penelope rose to her feet. "I decided what I was going to do," she said. He was silent. "About your _proposal_ you gave me." She went to stand in front of him, grinning brightly at him. She couldn't wait to tell him what she was thinking.

Derek's eyes went wide. Before he said anything, he shut the door behind him and set his go-bag down on the chair beside the door. "Listen, Garcia," he said, rubbing his temples. "I really shouldn't have asked you what I did."

She frowned, confused. "But, I was – "

"It wasn't fair, even if I did say I would still be your donor if I said no," he interrupted, seemingly ashamed of himself. "I had no right to ask you that." He looked into her eyes and gave her a wry smile. "I hope me asking wasn't off-putting. I still want to be the dad, and I – "

Unable to stand it any longer, Penelope leaned forward and cut him off by grasping his face in her hands to pull him toward her. She kissed him with a fierce desire, loving the taste of him after being so long deprived of it. His lips tensed beneath hers at first, surprised at the kiss, but after that initial hesitation he responded eagerly. Apparently both of them had been starved of one another because he kissed her back just as fiercely as when she launched herself into his arms.

When they broke free of one another's lips, their foreheads rested against the other in a state of tranquility that Penelope never wanted to dissolve. She sighed, her fingers going up to touch the tip of his chin. Smiling slightly, she said, "You really should have let me talk first."

Derek chuckled. "Damn right I should've!"

Penelope looked up at him, cupping his whole cheek in her hand. "I'm glad you asked," she said. "Because if you hadn't asked, I never would've gotten the chance to tell you how I feel. How I _really_ feel."

"How's that?" he asked, even though she knew he already knew the answer.

Smiling up at him, she debated whether or not to respond sarcastically. But looking into his eyes, she knew this wasn't the time. She was talking to the man who was going to be the father of her baby. The least she could do was be sincere. "I love you," she murmured, pecking his lips. "We've got some stuff to work out – we don't want a repeat of last time – but I love you."

Derek grinned down at her, holding her flush against him. "I'll do whatever it takes this time," he promised.

"Me, too," Penelope said. "We can't have a genetically perfect offspring and then leave them hanging."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Baby Girl," Derek said.


End file.
